Resilient wheel



J. E. MGGLA-UN RE'SLIET WHEEL Filed Jan. 24, 1947 April s, 194s.

INI/VENTOR- per TL/wh@ Patented pr. 6, 1948 p-Nirsunsrarss .orties p RES'LIENT'WHL A v V`JasperklllcGrlaun, Slielrlnan; Ga;

i Applicationjanuary 2d, l94f7fg`serialNo. `'71,24g160g The presentr inventiongrelates to.imprlivementsV in resilient wheelsand has for'an obj ect to prvide a type of wheelconstructedandarranged for use" on all types of vehiclesL AnotherI objectl of the invention is to p rovide either,r horse-drawn orY j motor-driven, or on the landing gear of airplanes.-`

tires with the aim andi purpose-of decreasing fatalities and thecrippling of Jhurnanbeings `incident` to wrecks.A where tirescarI-'yingair are,

employed. A. -fv Y A further object of; the invention is to provide an improved,construction` of resilient wheel for; vehicles in whicha double setof spokes is pro-1 vided, one set being for the purpose fof embodying resiliency in the wheel while" the other set ofA spokes is for the purpose rim to secure propulsion of With theforegoing and Vofdriving the Vouter the. vehicle,

after and more particularly pointed out in the appended'claims.

In the drawings,` in `which like parts aredenoted by. the same-referencecharactersthroughout the several views, i

other objects in vievny the invention will be more `fully described herein Figure 1 is a side elevationalview, with parts Y shown lbroken Aaway and :injsection, of an improved resilient wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention: f l '1 Figure 2 is a crosssection taken -on the line 2-2 in Figure 1. p j

Figure 3 is also a cross-section" t'a'k'en" on the line 3-3 in Figure li! FigureAy is a section takenrongthe line if-4in` Figura-i3".Y M Referring.,more particularlyrto` the drawings,

I? designates.- Vthe huh whichis. adapted to`V be aixed tothe'aXle or to be rotatable around a'stub" steering axle, such'hub being preferably reinforced by marginal inner and outer flanges II and I2.

The rim is indicated at I3 and may be of a high quality steel of a lleXible or deformable nature. Outturned anges I4 at the sides of the rim I3 provide an annular channel for receiving the solid cushion tire I5 which may be of rubber or some other resilient composition.

The spoke members which contribute the resiliency to the wheel are mounted in suitable numbers angularly spaced about the wheel and involve the plunger spokes I6 and the cylinder spokes I'I. The inner ends of the plunger spokes I6 are formed with flattened perforated ears I8 having rounded inner edges which are adapted to rotate or perforatinsfeffthe ears Vengauge thesideface tions of, the boltsor rock" in soc V,t's provided" preferably in the intermediateportionofthe hub'- I II Bolts I pass laterally through the' hub "I Uand'throughthe eyes- Ill'A andlthus pivotally couple theplngen spokes I'to'. the hub# The endsby cylinder heads or caps24` having, `flanges 2 5'Which encircle.' the outer portions of the cylinders I "l and"may..V be welded on thereto.` Coilsprings ZSare conf-inediti the outer portions of. the cylinder spokes ITb'y the caps 2ZIA and. have their innerends abutting: against the outer ends ofthephinger spokes I6. Flat perforated ears 2T project outwardly. from the caps 24f`andrec`eive pivots or4 pintles, byA which the sameare,pivotallyinounted'in cleats 2`9 and 3U. Such cleat's'may be I-sh'apedl Otherwise stated: these cleats have base flanges. 3]d and 3'2" fitted against the insidesurface of the r-irn I3* to which they may befweldedor otherwise afliX'ed.' If-desired,.`thetw cleats of eacliresilient spoke memlefrringlrnore partieula'rly toFigures 1`a`nd 3,1 33T' designate popelln "spok'es-i which are also mounte'din any; suit'able nurri'b'er around' thecircle of the 'wl'ieel' a'nfd" preferably alternate with" the spokes are mounted at sockets 34 of the hub ID and i f thie" hubgby meansfof the double rowfdfth reu-larVseresoffblts 35fand- 33 rnoiiritedftlfirc'iligV Vl'e hiilll. ,Thepro'peller spokes "33 are' also reinforced' ari'd: ste'adid" by a" disc 31 lying laterally of the propeller spokes 33 with its edgewise dimension substantially radial of the lwheel and approximately parallel to the axesof the propeller spokes 33. Two or more circular series of bolts or other fastenings 33 and 39 connect inner and outer portions of the disc 3l in common to all of the vpropeller spokes 33. Preferably the propeller spokes 33 are spaced axially from the disc 3'I as by the outer and inner rings 4S and 4I through which the bolts 38 and 39 may also pass. Thus the disc 31 which extends in common to all of the propeller spokes 33 forms with such spokes and with the rings 40 and 4I a trussed construction which reinforces and strengthens all of these members and which is aided also by the fact that the inner edge of their inner endsin are further' rsec` otherwise secured! maybe made integral asndicatedin IF'igure 2f the disc 3l fits preferably rather snugly over thel 3 may be L-shaped and have flanges 44 and 45 tting against the rim and welded or otherwise secured thereto, for instance by the rivets 46 and 41.

As shown more particularly in Figure 4 collars 58, preferably square, are fitted about the flat spring bars 42 and 43 at inner portions thereof for including the outer ends of the rigid propeller spokes 33 when the same are either in an inner or outer position. Rivets or other fastenings 49 l secure the collars 48 to one of the flat spring bars as shown in Figure 4, the collars being unattached to the companion ilat spring bars 42.

Instead of the pivots I8, I9 and 28, ball and socket or universal joints may be used.

The resiliency spokes are inserted in the wheel with sufficient tension to hold the hub in the exact center of the rim at all times, or to force the hub back to center after compression has been caused by runningover any object that would have a tendency to cause the Weight of the Vehicle to spring.V The propeller spokes or bars 33 act to propel the vehicle and they also serve as stabilizers when compression has been eected in the coil springs 26 of the cylinder and plunger spoke members. Such propeller spokes 33 in combination of course with the flat spring bars 42 and 43 also tend to hold the rim I3 when the abrakes are applied.

The disc'mounting also provides strength in the propeller bars 33 for resistingany relative rotation between the hub and the rim.

The flat steel bars 42 and 43 will be of Ia tension to allow the wheel to give when compression has been effected and will react to restore the parts to the normal position after the distorting force has been passed over.

The square collars 48 being fastened to only one of each pair of springs 43 allow the pair of springs 42 and 43 to give to the desired distance and then stops further expansion. These collars t8 also serve the purpose of holding the propeller bars 33 in position, keeping them from sliding out from between the spring bars 42 and 43 when the vehicle is either turned short or rounding a curve.

The rim I3 of the wheel will preferably be constructed of high quality steel suflicient to carry the weight of the vehicle. The tire I carried by this rim I3 will engage the road surface for the 4 purpose of absorbing noise and effecting desired tread.

While I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at the present time, I desire it to be understood that I reserve the right make changes and modifications in the herein described embodiment of the invention provided such changes fall within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a rim, resiliency-producing spoke members between said hub and rim, propulsion spoke members comprising rigid bar elements and pairs of spring bar elements slidably receiving adjacent end portions of therigid bar elements, the remote ends 'of the elements connected respectively to said hub and rim, a disc parallel to the radii of the Wheel, a plurality of rings separating the disc from said rigid bar elements, said rings being spaced from one another, and fastenings passing through said disc and said rigid bar elements and through the interposed rings to provide a truss construction.

2. A resilient wheel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner edge of the disc engages a part of the hub.

3. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a'rim, resiliency-producing spoke members :between said hub and rim, propulsion spoke members comprising rigid barelements and pairs of spring bar elements slidably receiving adjacent end portions of the rigid bar elements, the remote ends of the elements connected respectively to said hub and rim, a collar surrounding each pair of spring bar elements so placed as to include the telescoped adjacent ends of the rigid bar elements, and means for aixing each collar to only one of its pair of spring bar elements.

4. A resilient Wheel comprising a hub, a rim, resiliency-producing spoke members between said hub and rim, propulsion spoke members comprising rigid barelements and pairs of spring bar elements slidably receiving adjacent end portions of the rigid bar elements, the remote ends of the elements connected respectively to said hub and rim, said spring bar elements being substantially L-shaped with flanges fitting in and attached to said rim.

JASPER E. MCGLAUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: Y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Cravens Nov. 29., V192'? 

